#grow2018

[homit-blog1]

06.19.2018

Hkur Lu is a three and a half month old baby from the Shan province of Myanmar. Hkur Lu was born with jaundice, or yellow skin, which reflects issues with the red blood cells of a person. Hkur Lu’s family originally brought her to Thailand to seek medical treatment. The were originally at a different hospital that could not treat her condition. Therefore, she was moved to another Chiang Mai hospital. In addition, Hkur Lu was born with an oversized liver, causing the doctors to remove some of her liver to make it smaller. She recently had this surgery, and the family must stay in Chiang Mai to ensure she is healing properly. MAP Foundation, Thailand is helping with the medical costs from the treatment as well as the procedure through its Crisis Support program. MAP is also helping the mother find a place to stay in Chiang Mai while they are waiting for the baby to heal properly. The situation for the family is complicated because Hkur Lu’s mother came into the country without proper documentation. This documentation problem has caused access to medical care to become more difficult.

[homit-blog1]

06.19.2018 When the GROW team first walked into the hospital alcove of the 67 year-old woman named Kham, we confused her for a nurse because she was so energetic as she tried to bring us seats and make us comfortable. We were all impressed by her kindness from the very start. Kham migrated from Shan state in Myanmar to Chiang Mai years ago to live with her grandson. After his parents divorced, the young boy was given to Kham who became his permanent caretaker. The two moved to the outskirts of Chiang Mai where Kham’s grandson could attend school. However, last year, Kham noticed a change in her face and quickly found that a non-cancerous tumour had been growing on the left side of her jaw. Soon after being diagnosed, Kham had an operation to remove the tumour. Although she still has to pay other medical bills, the doctor that operated on Kham didn’t charge her for the surgery. She has been in the hospital for two months and still has months to stay to be treated with light therapy to prevent new growth and heal the area of her jaw that was affected. This will require seven more rounds of treatments that could last weeks because the doctors only perform when Kham is strong enough. While these treatments are necessary for Kham to heal, she explained that her 12 year old grandson must stay home alone while she is at the hospital. Since she has been unable to work, Kham cannot pay this months rent and is worried about finding money to continue to send her grandson to school. Fortunately, neighbors have been helping to feed her grandson and MAP has been giving transportation support. Gaew Chai also explained that they come to visit Kham often to give her support since she has little family to visit. (at Chiang Mai, Thailand)

[homit-blog1]

For the first time, the GROW team visited the same patient two years in a row. All migrants fight to maintain their identities culturally and individually, but Tun is a migrant who struggles uniquely with amnesia from a motorbike accident over a year ago. He has forgotten his age and his relatives, forcing him to stay at the hospital overnight outside with mosquitoes hovering. Unfortunately, when the hospital contacted MAP Foundation, Thailand to help with his homelessness, MAP’s Emergency Shelter had already been lost to funding issues. Last year, we visited Tun at Nakornping Hospital with Crisis Support coordinator Gaew Chai to provide him with a small amount of 300-400bt. Since then, Crisis Support has been visiting Tun outside the hospital where patients’ relatives sleep overnight. Every month, RFA comes back and provides the same amount of money to cover hygiene and food costs. Other MAP teams like CHE occasionally give Tun items like pants. Gaew Chai often shares Tun’s story with friends and strangers to collect small change to provide extra money for Tun as well. But it’s more than just money and material items Gaew Chai and MAP Foundation shares with Tun. Today when we visit patients along with Tun, Gaew Chai passed on a package of Lactasoy to each patient and brought a smile along the way. After he exchanges words with Tun, Gaew Chai playfully engaged in a game of left arm wrestling with Tun - and Tun wins! Even though Tun’s entire right side is paralysed, there is a twinkle in his eyes from the strength that remains in his left side. Still, Tun sometimes senses an unease. As we were about to depart the food court, he added that he’s struggling. When Gaew Chai asks him to elaborate, he says “nevermind.” We nod, bend a little bow, and leave, knowing that our likelihood of seeing him a third year is high and thus disheartening.

[homit-blog1]

06.23.2018

**the name of the migrant has been omitted for privacy purposes and out of safety concerns**

Two months ago, a migrant was in a horrible motorbike accident, causing his neck to break and leaving his lower body and hands paralyzed. The man had been admitted to the hospital for over a month, leaving on May 17th with over 60 thousand baht in medical bills and more to come. Upon returning to his home, the man found that his boss wants the family to move out of the complex because of his poor health condition, lack of payment, and loss of documents.

After leaving the hospital, the man’s wife had needed to cut down on how much she worked so she could take care of his medical needs which left them with very little income. With so little money coming in, the family struggles to pay rent, renew their immigration documents, and even get the migrant to the hospital for the checkups that he needs. MAP employees have been visiting the couple frequently to see where MAP can help. Having done a few outreaches with this family, MAP is now helping transport the man to the hospital and has talked to them about options to try to get money for food, medical supplies, treatments, and rent.

Although their future is uncertain, the man’s wife is currently considering sending him back to Myanmar so relatives may take care of him while she works and sends money back to him. Many barriers must be crossed before he crosses the border, including finding a family member to take care of him, finding enough money to send him, and figuring out how to return without up-to-date documentation. Despite this uncertainty, MAP will continue to provide support to the family to the best of their ability.

[jpacaba]

End of a week, and possibly, end of a chapter. #grow2018